Project Context

Good Forests Foundation Uganda, with support from the Schock Foundation, is implementing a two-year cocoa pilot project in Kasese District, Western Uganda. The project seeks to improve family income and promote environmental sustainability by equipping smallholder cocoa farmers with practical skills, resources, and market linkages. Through training in good agricultural practices, distribution of improved cocoa seedlings, and strengthening of local value chains, the project aims to transform cocoa farming into a profitable and climate-resilient enterprise. By integrating cocoa into agroforestry systems, farmers will restore degraded land, enhance soil fertility, and strengthen their livelihoods in an environmentally sustainable manner. Cocoa is a vital cash crop for smallholder farmers in Uganda's Kasese District, but many still practice subsistence farming and lack knowledge of modern agricultural techniques and market dynamics. This leads to low yields and limited income. A visit to Bundibugyo, a successful cocoa region, highlighted the demand for quality fermented cocoa and the need for compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

This pilot project targets 80 farmers in Kasese, aiming to boost their yields by at least 30% and connect them to sustainable, profitable markets referencing successful models from Indonesia. With over 85% of residents in Kasese relying on agriculture, cocoa has great potential, yet traditional farming methods and poor access to improved resources hinder growth.

Good Forests Foundation Uganda builds on its reforestation and livelihood initiatives to integrate cocoa production into climate-smart agroforestry systems, enhancing yields, quality, and farmer profitability while supporting landscape restoration and carbon sequestration.